I think that’s it.
Now to find the two physical copies.
A box is in the chair beside me, and I dig through it, sifting through each folder, peering up every once in a while to make sure the shower is still running.
I’ve checked five folders and they aren’t in any of them. I sigh, my gaze dropping to the stacks of papers on the table.
The name Stratford and Clark stands out on a the edge of a paper tucked beneath a yellow slip-sheet, and I narrow my eyes, reaching for it immediately.
Angelina’s name is on here, as well as Griffin’s.
This is the first one. The one she wrote it.
“Finally,” I whisper-hiss.
I hunt for the other one Gabriel may have printed, disarraying the papers, flipping through each one. It has to be close. He had to look at this one in order to work with the newer one.
“What are you doing?”
My heart slams still as his voice sounds behind me.
I spin around immediately, spotting Gabriel standing in front of the mouth of the hallway. He’s wearing nothing but a towel around his waste, and lets not forget the deep frown on his face.
“Uh—nothing, I was just looking for a pen. I had this idea for the gallery and didn’t want to forget it.”
He stands still, eyes narrowing. “The pens are in the cup holder on the bookshelf. You know that.”
My eyes shift towards the case. “Damn. I totally forgot about that.” I lift my hands, and then drop them right away, as if I’m totally clueless.
I know he’s not falling for my bullshit.
I know because he’s now walking towards me, jaw locked, nostrils flared.
Snatching up the contract I once held and then taking another out of a yellow folder I didn’t even bother to check, Gabriel asks, “Is this what you’re looking for?”
“I don’t even know what that is.”
“Don’t play stupid with me, Colette!” He tosses the papers back on the table, laughing hoarsely as he shakes his head at me. “Fuck—see, I knew you weren’t here to check on me! I fucking knew it! You fucking bitch.”
I grimace, narrowing my eyes at him. “What did you just call me?”
“A bitch! You are a fucking bitch! He sent you, didn’t he? He sent you because he needs them back!? He doesn’t trust me. What, does he think I’ll tell Jenkins about them? Is that it? Does he think I’m a liability and you’re here to tie up all the loose ends?”
“No, Gabriel. What are you talking about?” I keep pretending to play dumb, but with each step he takes towards me, each twitch of his lips and the darkness in his glare, I realize one thing.
I’ve fucked up.
I should have checked the yellow folder! What was I thinking? I could have gotten the damn thing and made my way out of here.
Grabbing my wrist, Gabriel tugs me against him, his eyes boring into mine. His grip is tight and unrelenting. “You want those papers?” he asks, a growl in his throat.
“We need them,” I finally mutter.
“Are you trying to get pregnant?”
“No,” I snap.
“That’s not what I heard. I know you. You found out about Angelina so you’re trying to do whatever it takes to keep Griffin around. I know. I’m not stupid. You’re a smart, tricky bitch.”
“Stop calling me a bitch!”
He grimaces, and then he catches me off guard, flinging me around so that my stomach lands on top of the back of the sofa. I gasp as he shoves my dress up to reveal my panties, his knee quickly spreading my thighs apart.
“Gabriel, what the hell are you doing?! Stop!” I shove his hands away, scratching and clawing, but he doesn’t back down. He holds me tighter, staying glued to me, pinning me to the back of the couch so I can’t move.
“You want those papers?” he growls again. “You want them back for him? I’ll give them to you, no problem. Just as long as you stay bent over this couch and let me do what the fuck I want to do to you.”
I can feel his cock straining through his towel, grinding on the center of my ass. In one swift movement, I hear the towel whoosh and land on the floor, and the ripping of my panties sets me on edge.
“So, what?” I ask, my voice lower, throat dry. “You’re going to rape me? Is that it? Is that how you’re going to get back at him? It won’t work. He won’t care.”
“It’s not about him or even you. I’ve basically lost everything, including you. It’s not about what you feel or what he thinks. This is about getting some fucking justice.” His hand clutches the back of my neck, and he shoves my face into the leather cushion. His palm is rough and hot on my skin. “So just shut the fuck up,” he growls, shoving his groin against me and forcing my body upwards, “and take this fucking dick.”
He shoves his entire length inside me and I yelp into the cushion, unprepared for the stroke. I’m not wet for him or eager. I’m not ready at all.
It burns as he runs in and out of me, his grip tight on the back of my neck, keeping my face buried into the cushion so I can’t scream.
Not that I’d even bother.
I turn my head, pointing my gaze towards the wide-open window to my right. The city view. The ocean.
My body jerks violently, and his skin slaps mine, his grunts deep, curse words spewing from his lips.
Tears rim my eyes, but I rapidly blink them away.
I won’t cry.
I’m not losing.
I’m winning.
That’s what I tell myself. I am winning. He can’t own me. He only wishes he could.
Even though he has me pinned down, slamming so hard and deep I feel my walls might tear, I am winning.
I am walking out of this condo with those papers in my hand, and after that I will never see him again.
I can’t help but think of Griffin during this.
He sent me here. He needed me to come here, and now look what’s happening. His wife is being raped by his ex-best-friend. My ex-lover. I can’t tell anyone. No one would believe me, not when there is proof that I have been sporadically coming to this place for the past three years.
I want to laugh because I’m such a fool for sleeping with this man.
I want to cry because Griffin doesn’t even know, and he never will because I refuse to tell him.
But I do neither.
Gabriel continues his groaning, squeezing my ass with one hand and gripping my hair in the other, telling me how good I feel. I try blocking him out, and as I stare out of the window, it happens. I don’t hear a thing, but I do see a future.
One without Gabriel.
One without Griffin.
One with only me… and a baby.
One thing Gabriel says does catch me by total surprise, and my heart shrivels in my chest when I hear it—when I realize exactly why he is doing this to me.
“If anything, you’re having my baby. Not his. Not after all the shit you’ve put me through. I’m about to come in you so fucking much you won’t be able to get rid of my scent for weeks, Colette.”
The oxygen gushes out of my lungs, and I squeeze my eyes shut.
Gabriel finally finishes. His body sags and he stills inside me, coming hard and deep, just like he swore he would. His groan is loud and irritating.
When he’s filled me all the way up, he pulls out moments later, spins me around, and focuses on my eyes. “I bet you won’t tell him about this,” he says, a smirk on his lips. “You wouldn’t want him to know. You wouldn’t risk the chance of him leaving if he suspects it isn’t his.”
I don’t say a thing—nothing about what just happened anyway. He doesn’t know that Griffin has already decided to leave. He doesn’t know that all of this shit is staged.
“Can I get the contracts now?” I keep my voice from wavering.
His smirking continues. He watches my eyes for a sign of weakness.
I don’t reveal anything at all. I remain ice cold, holding his gaze.
When he realizes I’m not going to r
eact, he turns around, picking up the two packets of papers. Casually, he hands them over to me, and I snatch them away from him.
“Are there any other copies?”
“Nope. But even if there were, you wouldn’t have to worry. I wouldn’t tell Jenkins—not because I can’t, but because I love you too much, Colette. And because… well, if you do end up pregnant, there’s now a chance it could be mine. Either way, you’re both doomed. Why not let everyone find out the hard way. Griffin will go down eventually, and just like me, he’ll be left with nothing at all.”
I hate him. I fucking hate him!
I swallow thickly, and as he tries to run a hand down my cheek, I yank away from him, marching for his front door.
Swinging it open, I storm out, but not before hearing his deep chuckle follow after me. “I’m sure I’ll see you again, Colette.” The delight in his voice makes my skin crawl. Has he really gotten satisfaction out of this?
After all this time, have I underestimated Gabriel Adams? All that shit about never hurting me, never lying to me, never disappointing me… it must have just been bullshit.
When I make it to my car, tossing the contracts in the passenger seat, I beat on the wheel repeatedly. Honk after honk fills the deck, echoing off the walls.
Smash after smash on the steering wheel, and my hands wind up hurting, but I don’t care. I’d much rather feel this pain than the crucial twinge between my legs.
A knock rasps on my window and I gasp as I look up, assuming it’s Gabriel but I’m wrong. It’s a security guard.
“Are you all right, ma’am?” he asks behind the glass.
I swipe at my eyes before starting the car. “I’m fine. I’m fine. Just… leave me alone.”
I start the car and put it in reverse. The security guard steps back with a frown, watching as I pull out, put the car in Drive, and then take off, not daring to look back.
On the way home, thick tears line my face.
Yes, I got the contracts, but who am I fooling? There isn’t much victory here. He’s just soiled my plan. I have to get rid of the baby now. I have to start from scratch—go to the sperm bank and try again after my body is clear.
Fucking asshole.
I arrive home and park in the driveway, shutting off the car. I open the glovebox, pulling out the box of morning after pills.
I stare at the box for a while… and then I think of something.
I despise Griffin and Gabriel. I could take these pills. I could get rid of it, but I honestly shouldn’t.
The truth is… I don’t want to know if it will be Griffin’s or Gabriel’s. The truth is, it doesn’t even matter anymore because when this is all over, I will have a baby in my arms, I will be divorced, and I will be far away from this shithole.
I’ve thought about it for days now, and I already want to do better by this baby, and I don’t even know if it’s a reality.
But I have a feeling it is. Something is telling me a change is coming.
I want to do better for myself and that can’t happen if I’m still here. I remember what Beth said when she called me a few hours ago.
I have to do what I have to do. I have to stay determined, play my cards like I said I would.
I will never see either of them again once this is all over and the thought of that doesn’t bother me one bit.
Not when I know the good that is in store for me later.
Chapter Thirteen
Griffin
After my workout, I jog up the stairs, heading to the master bathroom and undressing. I start up the shower, jump in, and rinse the sweat away.
I got a text from Angelina. She was checking in on me. I told her I was okay. She proceeded to ask me if I had any plans for the night— I told her I would be catching up on reports and that I would see her soon.
I’m letting her down, I know, but I need some time. She’s too good for me. Every time I’m around her I tend to lose my train of thought. I forget that she did me wrong, lied right to my face, and that she could do the same thing all over again.
Not that I think she ever would do something that stupid again, but she could.
There has to be something else… or maybe there is someone else.
As that thought crosses my mind, I hear a loud thud come a short distance away and step back from the water, rubbing the water from my eyes as I see a figure coming towards me through the opaque view.
“Here are your stupid fucking contracts!” Colette’s voice fills the bathroom as she barges in. She yanks the shower door open, flinging the papers inside.
A mess of paper and ink scatters on the floor and I whip my head up, meeting her angry green eyes.
“What the fuck is your problem?! You could’ve waited until I was finished.”
“Whatever!” she snaps. “Just do me a favor and don’t ask me to do a favor for you again!
“Colette!” I call, but it’s too late. The glass door slams, and I’m surprised it doesn’t shatter from the amount of force she puts into it. “Colette!”
She’s storming away, and soon her figure is out of sight.
I shake my head, bending down to pick up the damp papers. I take note of each one, scanning them quickly before the ink can fade.
Well, at least she got the right ones. This looks like everything. I hope she deleted the files off of the computer too.
I collect all of the papers and place them outside the door, giving my body a quick wash before stepping out.
I check the bedroom when I get out but she is nowhere to be found. Running a towel through my hair, I rapidly get dressed and then hurry out of bedroom.
“Colette!”
I check her study. She isn’t there.
I walk down the staircase, but it’s completely dark down here. I check anyway. She’s been doing some weird shit lately. I wouldn’t be surprised to find her sitting in the den and staring out of the window.
She’s not in the living room. Not in the kitchen. Not out by the pool. Nowhere. I check the garage, opening the gate. Her car is still here.
I stand in the kitchen for several seconds, until I hear a thud above my head. I frown up at the ceiling. There is only one room above the kitchen…
I rush up the stairs, rounding the corner and reaching the second door to the right. I swing it open, and that’s where I find her.
In Bradley’s room.
“Colette?”
She has her legs drawn to her chest as she sits in the old rocking chair she used to nurse him. It’s dark and dead quiet for several seconds, and then I hear a sniffle.
My brows draw together as I step into the room.
And then it hits me.
Shit. I haven’t been in here in ages.
It still smells like him, that innocent, sweet smell only a child has. I can still feel him somehow. It could be all the toys and stuffed animals we bought. Or maybe it’s because Colette refuses to change his bedding.
Whatever it is, Bradley’s spirit still lingers, and I can’t help but feel guilt swarming my heart when I think of how he may be watching us now, so disappointed in us that he wishes we weren’t related to him at all.
“Colette?” I call again, stepping forward. “What are you doing—are you crying?”
“No,” she mutters, but her thick voice is a dead giveaway. “Just leave me alone.”
“What the hell was that about?” I take another step closer, stopping in front of her.
Her head sinks into her lap to bury her face. “Griffin… I—I can’t do this anymore.”
“Do what? What are you talking about?”
“I—I can’t be this bitchy, self-righteous woman anymore. I can’t keep pretending I don’t care. I can’t keep putting on this cold front! All it has done is hurt me!”
Damn. Of all the things she could have said, I wasn’t expecting that at all. “Well just stop then, Colette. You don’t have to act that way anymore.”
“No.” Her head lifts, damp eyes meeting mine as I lower to a s
quat. “You don’t understand. I do have to. I can’t rely on anyone but myself. I can’t rely on my father, my sister, my mother—hell, I can’t even rely on my own damn husband anymore.”
I blink slowly, breaking our gaze. “I tried, Colette. I still try. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry can’t bring him back. The word ‘sorry’ can’t fix a damn thing! I just—” She sighs, blowing a heavy breath. “I thought at first I didn’t want another baby… but now that I’ve thought about it, I think having another one will bring some light into my life again.” She pauses, tucking her hair behind her ear. “The only thing is… I don’t want you there, Griffin. I want to find a way out of this marriage, I want to have this baby on my own, and I want to be fully responsible for it. I know I can get a baby in all sorts of other ways, but I don’t want others.”
I’m confused now. My forehead creases as I look her over. “I don’t get what you mean.”
“Griffin, listen. If you give me this, I swear I will stop. I will stay out of your way. I will mind my business. I won’t even care what you do with that other woman just as long as my dad doesn’t catch you. The thing is… we can’t be together anymore even if we tried. I don’t think we can fully mend because I just feel like I can no longer put my life in your hands. I have relied on people all my life. I just want to create my own life. I want to be responsible for myself for once.”
My eyes burn, but I shut out whatever emotion is trying to form, looking every which way but at her.
Colette drops her legs, sitting forward and tipping my chin with her hand.
“I say I hate you. Constantly, I say I hate this life. I say I despise you and that I want nothing to do with you and I know I blame you constantly, but the truth is Griffin… I don’t hate you. I hate that I can still admire you. I hate that you have moved on from the loss of our son and I can’t.
She shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe it’s because I carried Bradley and held a deeper bond, or maybe it’s because you put in the effort to move forward and forgive yourself and I didn’t. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’m tired of pretending.”
I rub my face, staring down at the carpet. “Shit. At least I know now. All that hatred wasn’t really hate.”
Sudden Flames (Sweet Promise #2) Page 11